The following statement can be seen on FTN website. Thought I would place it here as any comments by those caught up in all this hopefully welcome on this enlightened forum unlike some others. As I said before, not sure what planet this is from. Must be a parrallel universe where eveything in Disley World is someone elses fault.
"My name is Jonathan Disley, and I am the director of Disley Aviation.
Although I have previously refrained from acknowledging any of the ever-changing comments and rumours, circulating on the “Aviation Grape Vine”, I now feel that considering the way these negative comments and rumours have affected the reputation and credibility of Disley Aviation, it’s time to set the record straight.
Disley Aviation was formed in 2008, to provide the public with an “Affordable Air Taxi Service”, effectively bringing the “Easy Jet” to the charter service, by making it affordable for everyone to use.
We looked at many companies in 2008 and decided to buy about half a dozen, some of these purchases failed through our own due diligence, where we discovered that they was not quite what they were initially marketed as.
However, others we succeeded in buying and the first company to come onboard was Cleveland Flying School, which we purchased from Northern Aviation. Cleveland Flying School, based at Durham Tees Valley airport was a successful business that had been trading for many years.
When Disley Aviation was initially formed, we could have never anticipated that we would hit a “Brick Wall” within the aviation world. This together with the collapse of the world’s economy made the market place a difficult place to trade in.
We started to purchase the companies back in September and October 2008 and we were much unprepared for the actual catastrophic events that would follow over the next few months, Events that would ultimately affect and deny the available opportunities to the executive traveller, who were to be Disley Aviations main stay of business.
When we bought Cleveland Flying School from Northern Aviation we believed we had completed our full due diligence, unfortunately as it turned out there were issues coming out of the wood work on a daily basis, but nothing we couldn’t handle and we continued to strive.
This continued until we lost the Leeds University contract, which was a direct result of important information Northern Aviation decided to withhold from the university and was at no fault of our own and this affected greatly on the business of Cleveland Flying School.
The second hiccup occurred earlier this year when Northern Aviation went into liquidation. Given the fact that Northern Aviation had owned Cleveland Flying School for so many years, a large number of its creditors along with members of the public actually believed that Cleveland Flying School and Northern Aviation were one of the same company. As no one had been aware of any impending sale prior to its completion, these people doubted the sincerity of our purchase.
As a result, creditors started chasing Cleveland Flying School for Northern Aviation outstanding debts. We received a vast number of accounts invoicing Cleveland Flying School for goods or services provided to Northern Aviation, as well as distressed students who had prepaid flying hours, paid prior to our involvement with Cleveland Flying School, turning up at our offices and demanding refunds.
Given that, Disley Aviation is purely the shareholders of the various companies that were trading; we looked again at Cleveland Flying Schools current situation. After careful consideration, it was decided that as there were so many problems arising, it would be easier to try to settle all the debts and take independent legal action against Northern Aviation and its directors for misrepresentation and fraud and this is still under way.
We honoured all legitimate prepaid members flying hours and the additional costs it incurred, which meant that cash flow was limited at times, however everyone pulled together and as the university had previously been the main source of income for the school, we worked extremely hard and managed to increase sales considerably.
“A huge step in the right direction.”
A man, who had “Tried” to purchase Cleveland Flying School prior to us taking over, came forward and expressed an interest, whichresulted in a firm offer and unfortunately, we naively allowed him full access to all areas and information.
Despite his presence everyday at the flying school and his grand gestures and overtures to its staff and customers alike, it soon became very apparent after several weeks had passed that he did not have any intention of purchasing Cleveland Flying School. I do not wish to comment further on this matter at this time although I strongly believe these actions have been instrumental in current situation at Cleveland Flying School and our legal team is currently addressing this matter directly with him.
Cleveland Flying School still belongs to Disley Aviation, as it is the main shareholder and purchaser of the company’s assets. Cleveland Flying School has no liabilities and any third party finances relating to aircraft were paid off in full. Any outstanding creditors have been or are in the process of being paid and I wish to state that contrary to any rumours circulating, Cleveland Flying School has not, nor will be put into administration. The school will remain closed until we find a suitable buyer or use for the premises. Once we have completed full due diligence on any prospective buyer, only then will we make a public announcement to that effect.
Flyteam Aviation, based at Elstree Aerodrome was one of the other companies that we were involved with. This was solely purchased by a franchise member because of its location, along with its additional airfield base at Cranfield. Our involvement with Flyteam was that we hired them the use of the aircraft under a franchise facility, which we later withdrew when it came apparent that the management and owners of Flyteam were not fulfilling their requirement to creditors
Buying and franchising small flying schools would give Disley Aviation a presence on key airport locations, allowing us various, drop off and pick up points.
The flying schools would have covered the costs and offered us a free infrastructure, which would have ensured that all monies made by the air taxi service would have been profit. This was Disley Aviations key to success by ensuring that we could afford to be cheap and cheerful, again, bringing the “Easy Jet” into the charter service.
Furthermore, we also secured a site based out of Biggin Hill airport and it seemed a very simple operation. We would take over a new lease, which would finance itself with hangarage and its current insitu tenants, and allow us to operate out of the premises with the charter service.
In exchange, I paid a very handsome deposit, but even after a few weeks, it was apparent that the reality was a very different picture from what it had been painted and the business was obviously struggling.
As the lease had not been signed at this point, it was by mutual agreement of both parties not to proceed any further.
Finally, moving on to Helicentre Blackpool, an established heli-port and flying school we purchased early this year. We have recently leased out these premises to Ventbrook Air, from which they are currently operating their heli training school and I wish them every success in their future operations.
I ventured into this business without any knowledge of the aviation industry, all I know is that I am first and foremost a businessman and my vision was a very real and achievable goal. A vision I was willing to and did heavily invest in, to try to make it happen.
What I had not bargained for was the small-minded rigidness of the aviation world. A world that seems quite happy to talk the talk and instead of embracing the exciting opportunities and concepts I could have brought and change the way of general aviation. Achievable, by us joining forces and working together to provide a cheap affordable service and in turn giving the bigger fish a serious run for their money.
Instead, I was greeted with that brick wall, “a wall of obstructive people”, who’s only contribution to aviation has been to treat it like a hobby and bemoan about it.
It seems to me, that a large majority of the people, who occupy the current world of general aviation, should save their passion for what they are truly good at, gossiping and tapping away on their tiny-minded forums, and make way for the much more exciting, younger blood and investment.
Jonathan Disley
Disley Aviation "
Meanwhile this tiny-minded forum writer will have to stop tapping away for now whilst I clear up the mess from my keyboard
.